1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to glass facades for building structures and the like. Glass facades are commonly made of glass plates that are mounted to a mounting structure using clamping arrangements and are joined together to form large-area glass facades. However, because the glass panes and clamping arrangements are subject to certain manufacturing tolerances, bringing the clamping element attached to the glass plate into flush alignment with the axis of a mounting hole in a mounting structure is a common problem. If the connection between the glass plate and the clamping arrangement permits, these tolerances can be compensated for with the clamping arrangement.
This invention further relates to a clamp fitting for fastening glass panes with two clamping elements that clamp the glass pane between them, whereby one clamping element is realized in the form of a conical nut or taper nut that is set or inserted into a boring of the glass pane and has a cover, which conical nut is covered on the outside of the glass pane by a cover that is flush with the outside of the glass pane, which cover is detachably connected with the conical nut by means of a clip connector that is located on the cover.
2. Background Information
A device that represents the essential features of the prior art is described in DE 299 19 333 U1, although in that device, the conical clamping element is not realized in the form of a conical nut, but is replaced by an elastic ring, whereby between the elastic ring and the glass pane there is an elastic layer that protects the glass. A nut that forms the inner clamping element, i.e. the second clamping element, is clamped onto the threaded bolt that is connected to the substructure. The head of the threaded bolt and thus the above-mentioned conical ring are covered by a cover disc that is flush with the outside of the glass pane, is detachable, and by means of which the layer that runs through to the outside of the plane and forms the glass protection is held in place elastically.
The prior art also recites that the cover plate can be held in place by a leaf spring which is attached to it, can be flexibly engaged in a boring of the undercut recess of the ring. The prior art therefore recites a clip connector, which must additionally be attached to a flat side of the cover in the form of a leaf spring, which is engaged in a suitable manner in a boring of the undercut recess of the ring. Because for aesthetic reasons, the spring can only be located on the side of the cover facing the glass pane, it is necessary in this case to provide a corresponding open space, which is therefore unavailable for the design of the screw head of the fastening screw. This lack of space is even more restricting because in the device of the prior art, the ring itself does notxe2x80x94as is the case with commercially available conical nutsxe2x80x94fit flush with its external flange against the outside of the glass panel.
On clamp fittings of the type described in DE 197 13 038 C2, the second clamping element essentially consists of a backplate, preferably in the form of an adjusting nut, that can be gripped with the conical nut, whereby the backplate can be bolted, for example, in the form of an adjusting nut, directly to the conical nut. For L-bar or angular connections and similar connections, the backplate can be formed by a pivoting clamp part which is bolted with the conical nut. Both on the above mentioned adjusting nut and on the above mentioned pivot clamp part, there can be additional fastening means, in particular fastening means used for adjustments.
In other words, a glass pane, plate, or panel can be clamped or held by a clamping element that has basically two parts. The first part of the clamping element is a hollow nut with a tapered or conical end that fits snugly in a bore or hole in the glass pane. The conical or tapered end forms a friction fit to hold the glass pane. The second part of the clamping element can be essentially any type of plate that has an opening in the center that is essentially aligned with the opening in the first part and a flange portion to clamp the glass pane. The second part is connected, fastened, bolted, or attached to the first part such that the glass pane is effectively clamped and held between the first and second parts. The second part of the clamping element could be a pivotable connection.
German Patent 197 13 038 C2 discloses a clamp fitting of the prior art in which the first clamping element is a conical nut and the second clamping element is an adjusting nut that forms the backplate. The conical nut has a cover that is connected to and forms one piece or is integral with the hollow cylindrical portion of the conical nut, whereby the hollow cylindrical portion is provided with a female thread for the connection with the adjusting nut. The adjusting nut has a slot to support the retaining flange of a fastening bolt. The installation of the conical nut and thus the connection between the conical nut and the adjusting nut is created only after the fastening bolt is tightened, in which case there is no guarantee that the adjusting nut is oriented centrally with respect to the boring of the glass pane. That necessarily results in the introduction of stresses in the glass pane when the conical nut is installed on account of the axial offset between the conical nut and the adjusting nut that forms the backplate.
DE 197 13 038 C2 discloses a clamp fitting of the prior art in which, in contrast to the device disclosed in DE 299 19 333 U1, because the cover of the conical nut is detachable, the glass pane can first be clamped free of stresses between the conical nut and the backplate, whereby a fastening screw can be tightened by means of a suitable tool through the conical nut, and if necessary through an axial passage opening of a backplate. For that purpose, the backplate can thereby have a slot orxe2x80x94in an angular connection, for example can be provided with a threaded hole that receives the fastening bolt.
The object of the invention is to provide an opportunity for the connection of a fastening bolt to a substructure, a masonry structure, an L-bar or angular connection etc. in a manner that can resist both tension and compression stresses, in which the glass pane is clamped independently by the two clamping elements, i.e. without essentially any influence by the fastening bolt.
The object of the invention is also to realize a clamp fitting of the type described above so that when a conical nut is used, the cover that covers the head of the fastening screw is optimally located detachably on the conical nut. In particular, the space available under the cover is not restricted by the means used to achieve the detachability of the cover.
The invention teaches that this object can be accomplished by the solution disclosed in a clamp fitting for fastening glass panes with two clamping elements that clamp the glass pane between them, whereby one clamping element is realized in the form of a conical nut or taper nut that is set into a boring of the glass pane and has a cover, characterized by the fact that the cover is detachably fastened to the conical nut.
Because the cover of the conical nut is detachable, the glass pane can first be clamped between the conical nut and the backplate so that it is free of stresses, whereby, the backplate can then be tightened by means of a suitable tool through the conical nut, and if necessary through an axial passage opening of a backplate. For that purpose, the backplate can thereby have a slot or, in an angular connection, for example, can be provided with a threaded hole that accepts the fastening bolt.
The invention also teaches that the object can be accomplished in a clamp fitting for fastening glass panes with two clamping elements that clamp the glass pane between them, whereby one clamping element is realized in the form of a conical nut or taper nut that is set into a boring of the glass pane, which nut is covered on the outside of the glass pane by a cover which is flush with the outside of the glass pane, which cover is detachably connected with the conical nut by means of a clip connector which is located on the cover, characterized by the fact that the clip connector is integrated into the cover or is integral with the cover.
Accordingly, a clip closure is used, which is integrated into the cover or is integral with the cover.
The above mentioned integration into the cover eliminates the need to use clip elements that restrict the space under the cover in the vicinity of the fastening screw.
In a configuration of the clip connector that is integrated into the cover, the invention teaches that an elastic ring is located in a radially encircling outside groove of the cover, whereby the outside diameter of the ring is slightly greater than the outside diameter of the cover. This elastic ring can be realized in the form of a circlip or an O-ring, whereby when the ring is realized in the form of a circlip, the ring can consist of a plurality of straight ring segments that are oriented at an angle in relation to one another and form small nodes, so to speak, in the vicinity of their angular connections which project beyond the outside diameter of the cover. As a result, when viewed from above the periphery of the ring, there are a plurality of individual small clip connections, which make possible on one hand a reliable connection of the cover with the conical nut, and on the other hand the easy removal of the cover. An undercut groove that receives the elastic ring is located in the conical nut, and acts to a certain extent as a mating piece with said clip connector.
When the cover is realized in the form of a one-piece component, the invention teaches that the cover has, on its outside periphery, an encircling projection molded onto the cover is complementary to the undercut groove in the conical nut. As an alternative to the encircling configuration, this projection can be replaced by a plurality of projections that are complementary to the undercut groove in the conical nut.
For the realization of angular connections or pivoting connections, the invention teaches that it is advantageous, for example to achieve a fixed bearing, to realize the conical nut in the shape of a pot, and to locate a central boring in the bottom of the pot. In this case, a lateral tolerance for the compensation of the clamp fitting with respect to a substructure or similar structure is not necessary.
To form a movable bearing, on the other hand, it is advantageous if the conical nut is also realized in the shape of a pot, whereby a slot is located in the bottom of the pot, which makes possible essentially any lateral offset of the fastening bolt with respect to the clamp fitting that may be necessary. In any case, the fastening bolt can be tightened through the conical nut, i.e. through the passage opening created by the removal or absence of the cover, without introducing stresses into the conical nut or into the backplate and thus into the glass pane.
To further explain, in at least one installation method according to a possible embodiment of the present invention, the clamping element can be first attached to the glass panel. Specifically, the first part of the clamping element, which can be in the form of a conical nut, can be inserted into an opening in the glass. The shape of the conical nut can be designed to correspond to the shape of the opening in the glass, such that the tapered or conical end of the nut can fit snugly against a tapered or conical portion of the opening in the glass. The second portion or part of the clamping element can then be attached, fastened, bolted, screwed, or connected to the conical nut to clamp or hold the glass pane between the first portion and the second portion. After the clamping element has been clamped onto the glass pane, the glass pane is ready to be mounted to a building structure or other mounting structure. A user can then align the hole or holes in the glass plate with mounting holes in the mounting structure. The user can then insert a corresponding fastening bolt or mounting bolt through the holes in the glass plate, and thus the clamping element, and into the mounting holes in the mounting structure to mount the glass plate on the mounting structure. If the alignment of the glass plate is not correct, the fastening bolt may be removed to permit adjustments to be made to correct the alignment. A user can then realign the holes in the glass plate with the mounting holes in the mounting structure, and then insert the fastening bolt through the holes in the glass plate and into the mounting holes in the mounting structure to mount the glass plate on the mounting structure. After the glass plate has been properly mounted to the mounting structure, a cover piece or cap can be attached, clamped, inserted, glued, screwed, or placed onto the first part or conical nut to cover the opening in the nut. The cover piece can therefore present a continuous surface with the face of the glass pane that is facing away from the mounting structure.
In one development of the invention, after the installation, the cover can be glued or pressed onto the conical or tapered flange of the conical nut, whereby preferably for purposes of gluing, the cover is realized in the form of a flat panel, which makes it possible to manufacture the cover easily using a punching or stamping process.
The material for the cover is preferably steel or plastic, whereby when plastic is used, it becomes possible to manufacture the cover in different colors.
The above-discussed embodiments of the present invention will be described further hereinbelow. When the word xe2x80x9cinventionxe2x80x9d is used in this specification, the word xe2x80x9cinventionxe2x80x9d includes xe2x80x9cinventionsxe2x80x9d, that is the plural of xe2x80x9cinventionxe2x80x9d. By stating xe2x80x9cinventionxe2x80x9d, the Applicant does not in any way admit that the present application does not include more than one patentably and non-obviously distinct invention, and maintains that this application may include more than one patentably and non-obviously distinct invention. The Applicant hereby asserts that the disclosure of this application may include more than one invention, and, in the event that there is more than one invention, that these inventions may be patentable and non-obvious one with respect to the other.